Rolling Meadows Criminal Law Information Center

Rolling Meadows, a small suburb located in Cook County, sits a mere 24 miles northwest of Chicago and is grouped into the larger Chicago metropolitan area designation. Rolling Meadows has approximately 24,000 residents living on only 5.64 square miles. Many Illinois residents migrated from Chicago in order to enjoy a safer and quieter life in Rolling Meadows. However, despite its small size, Rolling Meadows still experiences its fair share of crime. In 2013, 17 death investigations were conducted, including an attempted murder of a police officer, as well as 6 arrests for forcible sexual assault, 6 arrests for robbery, 11 arrests for aggravated battery, 21 arrests for burglary, and 245 arrests for theft.

In spite of these crime figures, Rolling Meadows enjoys lower crime rates than the average U.S. city. In 2012, 301.1 crimes were committed for every 100,000 residents in the average U.S. city, but only 84.3 crimes were committed in Rolling Meadows for the entirety of its population. As such, Rolling Meadows’ crime rate is lower than the U.S. average for each offense, including property crimes, violent crimes, and drug-related crimes. However, Rolling Meadows is more dangerous than other surrounding cities like Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Inverness, and Itasca. As such, the Rolling Meadows Police Department and State’s Attorney’s Office for Cook County have concentrated resources on bringing crime rates down.

The Rolling Meadows Police Department is divided into multiple divisions. The Operations Division provides 24/7 monitoring and investigation service to the community. 31 officers and 6 sergeants are tasked with monitoring home alarms for burglaries, patrolling for theft, processing evidence, investigating suspicious activity, responding to 911 calls, assisting with domestic violence complaints, enforcing traffic laws, and appearing in court to testify in misdemeanor, felony, and traffic cases. The Patrol Unit is tasked with responding to 911 calls. Over 9,000 calls are made to 911 annually in Rolling Meadows. The patrol officers respond at the scene, assist with diffusing dangerous situations, and conduct investigations and arrests. The Investigations Unit is dedicated to major cases, such as suspicious deaths, bank robberies, armed robberies, predatory criminal sexual assault, and narcotics. In addition, the Investigations Unit often assists the Illinois State Police with conducting investigations and providing SWAT services during emergencies.

The Rolling Meadows P.D. works alongside the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, which has an office at 2121 W Euclid Avenue, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 inside of the courthouse. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting all misdemeanors and felonies in Cook County. The State’s Attorney’s Office is divided into smaller offices to correspond with the court districts in the county. Rolling Meadows is home of the Third Municipal District Courthouse , which oversees felonies, misdemeanors, orders of protection, no contact orders, and other civil and family law issues. The Third Municipal District Courthouse has jurisdiction over some of the smaller Chicago suburbs, including Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Wheeling, and Elgin.

Common Crimes in Rolling Meadows

While Rolling Meadows is a relatively quiet community, a variety of different offenses are committed regularly in Rolling Meadows, including theft, robbery, burglary, battery, and criminal sexual assault. These are described in more detail, as follows:

Theft includes larceny and shoplifting. Theft is the unlawful taking of another’s property without their consent.

Robbery is the unlawful taking of another’s property without their consent by using force or threat of force.

Burglary is the entering of a building without permission with the intent to commit a crime therein.

Battery is the unlawful act of injuring another person or causing unwanted or offensive contact with another person.

Criminal sexual assault is the legal term for rape and involves forcible sexual penetration.

These offenses can be misdemeanors or felonies depending upon aggravating circumstances such as the presence of a weapon, previous criminal history, and the status of the victim.

In Rolling Meadows, felonies are grouped into five classes: Classes X, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Class X is reserved for the most heinous felonies and usually carries 6 to 30 years incarceration in state prison, but this can be expanded to life in prison. Class 1 is reserved for serious crimes and faces 4 to 15 years in state prison, expandable up to 30 years. Class 2 faces 3 to 7 years in prison, expandable up to 14 years. Class 3 carries a punishment of 2 to 5 years in prison, which can be extended up to 10 years. Class 4 faces 1 to 3 years in prison, expandable up to 6 years. In addition to prison time, defendants can be fined up to $25,000 for each count or more if dictated in the statute for that offense. Defendants can also be ordered to pay restitution for injuries suffered by the victim.

Rolling Meadows misdemeanors are less serious offenses that carry potential Cook County Jail sentences. A Class A misdemeanor is the more serious type of misdemeanor which carries a potential sentence of up to 1 year in county jail or 2 years of supervised probation, as well as a fine of $2,500 or less. Class B faces up to 6 months in jail or 2 years of probation, as well as a fine of $1,500 or less. Class C faces up to 30 days in county jail or 2 years of probation, as well as a fine of $1,500 or less.

If you have been charged with a felony or misdemeanor in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, you face serious time in either state prison or county jail. With incarceration come lasting and devastating effects on your life. You need a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney who is familiar with the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. David L. Freidberg has represented countless clients wrongly accused of offenses in Rolling Meadows and understands how stressful and confusing the process may be for you. Our attorneys are ready and available to answer your questions about your charges, explain your various options, and work alongside you to craft a defense strategy to fight the accusations. We have offices in Skokie, DuPage, and Chicago and is available 24/7 to assist you with your case. Contact The Law Offices of David L. Freidberg at (312) 560-7100 or (800) 803-1442 for a free case evaluation.